


Two Years

by Littlejaybird94



Category: The Avengers, Young Avengers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-01
Updated: 2012-08-01
Packaged: 2017-11-11 04:58:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/474776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Littlejaybird94/pseuds/Littlejaybird94
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It had been two years and still he couldn’t get it right. He opens his mouth to say a name that used to roll of his tongue so easily, but stops and chokes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two Years

Two years he’d been gone. Two years since the original Hawkeye’s arrow was strung and let loose, aimed for the doombot, only to have the machine tug the fist thing in arms reach, pulling the teen in front of it, using the meat shield to protect itself.

It had been two years since blood spilt from Billy Kaplan’s lips as the arrow pierced his throat, lodging in his spinal cord. He was dead before he hit the ground. Before he had a chance to scream or react. Before Tommy even managed to move or Teddy register what happened.

The sound that erupted from Teddy’s throat made the hearts of everyone around him clench in pain. The sight of Tommy shaking his twin’s shoulders, begging him to wake up, screaming at him to listen to him made tear fall like streams down their faces. The last of the doombots were violently destroyed without second thought or delay and all the Avengers surrounded the trio, two alive, one dead, and shook their heads in disbelief. Kate’s hands covered her mouth as she sobbed and Steve placed his hand on her shoulder, pulling the girl to his chest, rubbing her back as she cried.

Billy was one of the only original Young Avengers left on the team since Cassie Lang and Vision had died and now it was happening all over again. She was standing beside the body of a teammate.

A few meters away, Clint stood, bow still in his quaking hand as he stated at the scene in front of him. He never missed his target. He would never hit an ally. But he had. He hadn’t noticed the doombot predict his movement and grab the teen, too focused on keeping his friends alive, and pull him in front. It was too fast, too sudden. He rubbed his eyes and dropped the weapon, removing his mask and leaving it with the strung up flexi-metal and walked away. He was no help here now. He’d done enough. 

The sound of Teddy’s wailing and the absolutely lost look on Tommy’s face was enough to break anyone’s heart. One by one the rest of the team thought it best to give the pair sometime and moved away, first Iron Man and Spiderman, not entirely sure how to deal with the situation and deciding to hint by example. The distraught pair on the ground didn’t notice, even when Captain American finally scooped Kate up in his arms and carried her back to the mansion.  
There was nothing to fix. Everything was broken beyond belief. Teddy’s weeping had settled to a soft whimper, eyes puffy and red, nose twitching as he sniffled a little. He cupped Billy’s face, thumbs smoothing over that smooth pale skin he adored, brushing satiny brown hair off a blood-splattered head piece as he leant forward, pressing a kiss to those soft, still warm lips one last time.

Tommy hugged himself, head shaking softly, eyes wide with disbelief. His blood felt like ice water in his veins and no matter how much he rubbed his hands over his arms, he couldn’t warm up. Billy wasn’t waking up, he wasn’t listening to him; he wasn’t moving. Tommy knew what had happened but something in his mind refused to connect the dots.

Teddy looked up at the twin, his slender body trembling with shock. He reached out his hand, dried blood from the body before his smeared across his fingers. Tommy didn’t register the touch so much as he did attack it. His arm instantly flung out, knocking Teddy’s away before Teddy reached forward and grabbed his flailing limbs. Restraining the distraught boy, Teddy pulled him to his chest, one arm holding him there, the other stroking the back of Tommy’s head as he felt the smaller boy shudder in his grip, a low whine escaping his lips followed by a sob. Tommy wailed. He screamed, he swore, he beat his fists against Teddy’s chest till his knuckles were bruised. Finally, he stopped, his arms too weak to move, eyes too blurred to see and throat too sore to cry. He clenched his fist in the other boy’s shirt and pressed his face close, body going limb in Teddy’s embrace. Noting the other’s stillness, Teddy stood, arms wrapped around slim shoulder as he walked after the rest of the Avengers, Captain America already walking past them as they reached the building to retrieve his fallen comrade.

** 

It had been two years and still he couldn’t get it right. His eyes were shut as he took in the too similar smell of the man beneath him. Soft hair, the same texture but different colour. Lithe, muscular limbs, identical but defined in different places. And that face, that slender face with those high cheekbones and narrow chin. Thicker eyebrows and a slender defined nose. The same, but belonging to another.

He gritted his teeth as those hands gripped his sides, soft moans in his ears and their skin moved together. It felt the same but different. It was as close as he could get but never enough. He was so close but so far. He opens his mouth to say a name that used to roll of his tongue so easily, but stops and chokes.

“Please… Don’t say it again.”

His piercings are aching in his ears from the blood rushing there, spurned by his feelings of disgust in himself. His hand pushed white hair of a sweaty brow and his bites down on a slender neck, evoking more groans and gasps, but he can still hear the sadness beneath them.  
And the words change.

“If you have too… It’s alright, just say it.”

His eyes are right shut again and he tries to exhale but it’s a sob. That name caught in his throat, branded on his heart. It doesn’t belong to the man beneath him, but to another. 

“Billy… I’m so sorry…”

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Ellie I suppose! I text her all my fic ideas when I’m bored at work. At least half of this fic was in text form and I copied it out and sent it to myself on facebook >_>  
> This is an idea that I feel guilty for shipping. If Billy ever left/died, Tommy would turn to Teddy for support and vice versa, but Tommy would realise he was in love with Teddy after seeing what he becomes as he becomes more and more depressed. So, Tommy being Billy’s twin, helps in the only way he can.  
> Do I even warn that I’m a sucker for angst anymore?


End file.
